I had listened to my mom's story quietly. At first I had asked questions, exclaimed my disbelief, but as she went on I became more and more silent. And once she had finished I had gotten up and left.
It was hard to sort things out. In my head I could understand some of the reasoning behind the secrecy, but I couldn't help but feel hurt about it.
I wasn't even sure where I was walking at first. At least I had actual clothes on instead of my pajamas, although I doubted I would have even noticed if not for the cold. Dressed I may have been, the shorts and t-shirt that were comfortable in my house where I could always huddle with a blanket for warmth were a little less suited for the early morning chill.
My brisk pace kept me warm for a little while, but now I was starting to really feel the chill. I starting glancing around for somewhere to take warmth and ducked into the first place that I saw.
A pizza place open at 5:30 in the morning. It wasn't as bizarre as one might think. This was the city that never sleeps after all, and every neighborhood had its restaurants that took advantage of that fact. While some were exclusively open during the dark hours, most simply expanded their hours to all day and night.
It was nice to step into the warm shop. There were only a few other people inside, and that made the small space seem comforting rather than claustrophobic. My eyes wandered over the menu on the wall and I realized I should probably buy something if I was going to be here long.
Of course I didn't have my wallet. Just my keys and my cell phone… My fingers brushed something papery as I rummaged through my pockets. A ten-dollar bill! Finally some good had come from forgetting to empty my pockets. Maybe this would make up for all the chapstick that had been ruined by a run through the laundry.
I figured that a cookie and a bottle of water would be enough to buy me some time here. Actually I probably could have gotten away with less, the girl at the counter seemed pretty tired when I was ordering.
I took shelter in a corner booth. Truth be told, I really wasn't all that hungry. I took tiny sips of water and slowly began reducing the cookie to crumbs. I knew I should be trying to figure everything out, but procrastination had always come so much more naturally to me. I began tracing patterns on the tablecloth, frowning as I starting seeing cracked windows and wings in my mind's eye. I settled for circles and swirls, those at least seemed harmless.
"Mikayla?" A voice called out.
I looked up to see Michelangelo standing in front of me. And kept looking. What? my mind was saying very slowly and very confusedly. Wow, I was really tired. "Michelangelo…?" My voice raised in pitch very slightly at the end of the name making it not quite a question. "Um, hi…," I gestured vaguely at the seat on the other side of the booth.
He did sit, rather cheerfully in fact. "You can just call me Mikey," he informed me. "It's easier than Michelangelo." I nodded mutely as he continued. "What are you waiting for?"
Answers was my first thought. It took me a moment to collect my thought enough to realize the actual question that Mikey had asked. "Oh, nothing really. I just needed to get out and think about things. Obviously not prepared for the cold," This time I gestured to the t-shirt and shorts I was wearing. "And this was the first place I saw where I could pop in and get warm for a little while," I grinned, but I was worried it looked a little forced.
"But how could you resist one of the best pizza places in the city?" Mikey asked in mock horror.
I smiled weakly.
It felt like he was looking me over and when he next spoke his tone was more serious. "Everything okay? You can talk to me if you want."
I thought about his offer. It would be nice to speak my thoughts and worries about my situation to someone who wasn't twisted up in it. Still, there was no way I could explain the actual problem. I had to put a spin on things…
"Actually, I'm working on a story. It's a…fantasy story of sorts. About a girl who discovers something that could change her life."